Get fresh with me + follow your dreams

Get fresh with me + follow your dreams

Hello hello, and welcome to The Lemonade!

There are so many fresh faces here today. Welcome, one and all! Come in, come in! Take your coat off and stay a while. I have a special treat planned today!

So nice to see you today, I’m glad you could make it! Well, sit down. Settle in. Try one of the blueberry scones, they are fresh and simply divine. I have an amazing guest today, she should be here any minute. Lemonade will be served shortly.

Get Fresh with Me, Ft. Jenna Stratman

Get Fresh with Me is an on-going interview series at The Lemonade. I invite awesome guests to get fresh with me and chat about their business successes + learning moments (or, less pleasantly, failures). Do you want someone to get fresh with me? Hit reply and suggest your favorite girlboss, and you might see them featured here. Yes, Marie Forleo is on the list. So is J.K. Rowling.

K: First, thank you so much for coming to The Lemonade today, Jenna. It’s an honor to have you here. Now, introductions! Who are you and what do you do, for my friends who don’t know?

J: Hello, babes! Thank you for having me! My name is Jenna Stratman, and I run a boutique design studio called J.Lynn Designery, where I specialize in working with bloggers and small businesses. I’m also the creator of the *brand new* 2016 Refresh Weekly Planner – something you’ll hear more about very soon!! A cup of coffee is pure joy to me, and I have two sweet guinea pigs that I love like children.

K: I adore those guinea pigs of yours, Jenna, oh my goodness. I am so excited to hear more about your Refresh Weekly Planner! What inspired you to create it?

Ah, so many reasons! I’ve always been energized by business, and the business of retail, in particular. I am obsessed with the magic of the retail experience, both on- and offline, so I always knew a product-based business was in my future. Having grown up with a love for paper products (I’ll take the physical book over the e-version any day!), I had my heart set on one day designing a planner. To me, planners are the ultimate combination of joy and clarity, a chance to bring organization to your week and lead a happier life day to day. I wanted to create something that would bring these feelings to my customers, and I knew I wanted it to be as functional as it was beautiful. Thus, came the Refresh Weekly Planner.

K: Wow, that is so refreshing to hear! I can’t imagine what it was like trying to create the planner on top of running your business. When did you decide to take on the project? Did you find it challenging to balance running your business and working to create the planner?

While I knew it was a someday product of mine, I didn’t plan on officially launching it this year until I had the encouragement of a friend; she was the catalyst to dive into the research process, and I didn’t look back. As much as I LOVE my clients and the work we get to do together, the planner was always my “special time.” I would reward myself with planner time if I got x, y and z done that day…I cherished that time and poured myself into it any chance I got!

K: That is such a cool system! Do you have any advice for other business (or not-quite there yet) women who have an idea for a product, or project, but haven’t started?

Absolutely! The two most important pieces I knew I had to have to kick off the planning process were funds and research. Even if you don’t have all of the money now (creating a new product can be expensive!), try to have a plan for how you can raise that money, whether it’s through a part-time job, crowdfunding, etc. And always, 110% do your research. This goes beyond reading articles, books and case studies; I highly encourage sharing your idea with as many people as possible to get a feel for their reaction and whether or not there’s a need for it. The earlier in the process you can do this, the better. And try to go beyond asking friends and family! They’ll be the first to encourage you (which we all need!), but talking to strangers about it will give you a better sense of the need for your brilliant product idea.

K: Where can our friends find more information about you and your planner?

You can read all about it (and see all of the pretty details!) at jlynndesignery.com/planner! When you’re ready to start building your planner, there’s a link there to get started, or you can go straight to etsy.com/shop/jlynndesignery, and start by choosing your cover. (Yes, there are two! And fun planner add-ons to choose from that allows you to customize to your heart’s content!)

K: Thank you so much for stopping by The Lemonade, Jenna, it was lovely to have you. Please, have some snacks, and of course, a glass of lemonade. It’s fresh!

Jenna Stratman is the creative artist and founder behind J.Lynn Designery, a boutique design studio specializing in web design and brand development for bloggers and small businesses. She’s also the creator of the Refresh Weekly Planner, a 2016 agenda designed to bring clarity and joy to your every day. Jenna resides in Kansas City with her fiancé and two sweet guinea pigs. Find Jenna on Instagram and see her adorable guinea pigs.